Avios plans corporate commercial launch

THERE are big developments on
the cards for the Avios Travel
Rewards Programme, which
plans to establish itself as a “loyalty
programme aggregator” in the South
African market.
Appointed gm SA in January, Dries
Zietsman, who was previously country
manager for MasterCard Worldwide in
SA, recently shared with TNW the big
changes the market can expect to see
in coming months.
Avios plans to bring on more retail
partners, launching initiatives with other
established loyalty programmes and
giving members the ability to convert
points and realise benefits faster.
Criticised in the past for having
limited redemption options, Avios also
plans to expand its airline partners.
Currently, members can only earn and
redeem points on British Airways. “By
the end of this year, this will grow to
include other carriers, including a South
African low cost-carrier, SADC regional
airlines and other oneworld alliance
airlines relevant to the SA market,”
Dries said.
Avios is also heavily focused on
growing its hotel partners in South
Africa. The rewards programme
recently collaborated with the online
booking platform, Res24Seven, giving
members access to hotels throughout
the country. “We want to keep the
offering local, giving South Africans the
opportunity to travel by simply doing
what they do every day – filling up with
petrol and buying groceries – and being
rewarded with a holiday close to home.”
But the rewards programme isn’t
stopping at leisure travel. Avios has
plans to launch a commercial corporate
venture incentivising South African
SMEs for their spend. Dries could not
reveal many details but said Avios was
in talks with local banking partners
to launch a travel and entertainment
solution for corporate customers,
thereby making the Avios benefit
available to businesses in SA.
Dries added that while developing its
strategy, Avios had not forgotten the
important role travel agents played in
the redemption of loyalty programme
travel rewards and that Avios was
working on a solution to incentivise the
trade.